Drive gear assembly

Abstract

A drive gear assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a drive shaft ( 11 ) and a drive gear ( 9 ) mounted on or integral with a drive shaft and rotatable therewith and being adapted to mesh with a driven gear ( 7 ). The assembly also includes a self-aligning assembly that supports the drive shaft for rotation about an axis of the drive shaft and so that the drive gear can self-align with respect to the driven gear.

1. A motor-driven mechanical system comprising a drive gear assembly that includes:
 (a) a drive shaft; 
 (b) a drive gear, either spur or helical, mounted on or integral with the drive shaft and rotatable therewith and being adapted to mesh with a spur or helical driven gear, the drive shaft extending from opposite ends of the drive gear; and 
 (c) a self-aligning assembly that supports the drive shaft for rotation about an axis of the drive shaft and so that the drive gear can self-align with respect to the driven gear, the self-aligning assembly being arranged to pivot about a pivot axis, wherein the pivot axis is:
 (i) perpendicular to the drive shaft axis; 
 (ii) in a plane that passes through a midpoint of an active face width of the drive gear and the driven gear and is perpendicular to the drive shaft axis; and 
 (iii) passes through a pitch point of the drive gear and the driven gear at the midpoint of the active face width; and 
 
 (d) the self-aligning assembly includes a support shaft mounted for rotation about the pivot axis and a support member mounted to the support shaft and to the drive shaft at opposite ends of the drive shaft, and wherein the support member is in the form of a yoke that includes a base and two arms extending from opposite ends of the base, with the base being coupled to the support shaft and the arms being coupled to the drive shaft at opposite ends of the drive shaft, and wherein the arms are coupled to the drive shaft via a pair of eccentric bearing cartridges that are carried by the arms. 
 
     
     
       2. The mechanical system defined in  claim 1  wherein the pivot axis is at any angle through the pitch point except for an angle in which the pivot axis is parallel to a line of action of the drive gear assembly. 
     
     
       3. The mechanical system defined in  claim 1  wherein the yoke is C-shaped. 
     
     
       4. The mechanical system defined in  claim 1  further including one or more than one drive motor mounted on the drive shaft and operable to rotate the drive shaft and the drive gear. 
     
     
       5. The mechanical system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the drive gear is a single helical gear and the driven gear is a single helical gear. 
     
     
       6. A drive gear assembly that includes:
 (a) a drive shaft; 
 (b) a drive gear, either spur or helical, mounted on or integral with the drive shaft and rotatable therewith and being adapted to mesh with a spur or helical driven gear, the drive shaft extending from opposite ends of the drive gear; and 
 (c) a self-aligning assembly that supports the drive shaft for rotation about an axis of the drive shaft and so that the drive gear can self-align with respect to the driven gear, the self-aligning assembly being arranged to pivot about a pivot axis, wherein the pivot axis is:
 (i) perpendicular to the drive shaft axis; 
 (ii) in a plane that passes through a midpoint of an active face width of the drive gear and the driven gear and is perpendicular to the drive shaft axis; and 
 (iii) passes through a pitch point of the drive gear and the driven gear at the midpoint of the active face width; and 
 
 (d) the self-aligning assembly includes a support shaft mounted for rotation about the pivot axis and a support member mounted to the support shaft and to the drive shaft at opposite ends of the drive shaft, and wherein the support member is in the form of a yoke that includes a base and two arms extending from opposite ends of the base, with the base being coupled to the support shaft and the arms being coupled to the drive shaft at opposite ends of the drive shaft, and wherein the arms are coupled to the drive shaft via a pair of eccentric bearing cartridges that are carried by the arms. 
 
     
     
       7. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the pivot axis is at any angle through the pitch point except for an angle in which the pivot axis is parallel to a line of action of the drive gear assembly. 
     
     
       8. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the yoke is C-shaped. 
     
     
       9. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 6  further including one or more than one drive motor mounted on the drive shaft and operable to rotate the drive shaft and the drive gear. 
     
     
       10. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 6  further including a coupling that is coupled to the drive shaft of the drive gear and, in use of the drive gear assembly, is also coupled directly or indirectly to the drive shaft of a drive motor so that power from the motor can be transferred to the driven gear, which coupling allows the axis of the drive gear to be positioned out of alignment with the axis of the drive shaft. 
     
     
       11. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 10  wherein the coupling that couples the drive shafts of the drive gear and the motor is a flexible coupling. 
     
     
       12. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 11  wherein the flexible coupling is any suitable form of power transmitting coupling that can accept angular misalignment. 
     
     
       13. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the drive gear and the driven gear include gear wheels of suitable gear tooth profile. 
     
     
       14. The drive gear assembly defined in  claim 6 , wherein the drive gear is a single helical gear and the driven gear is a single helical gear.